DPS agrees to reverse new policy of charging for crime lab testing

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to note that the Texas Department of Public Safety has agreed to change its plans to charge crime lab fees.

After outcry from local law enforcement and a request by Gov. Greg Abbott, the Texas Department of Public Safety announced Friday it would backtrack on its earlier plans to begin charging agencies for use of state crime labs.

On July 20, DPS shocked the law enforcement community by announcing in a letter that it would begin charging local agencies for the previously free use of state crime labs, which perform tests such as DWI and DNA testing. The department emphasized that the policy change was mandated by the Texas Legislature in the state’s budget, according to the letter.

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